In Memory Of
by PierDreams
Summary: Death. Blame. Guilt. Loss. Misunderstanding. Revenge. (Moved from Bone Shards)
1. Goodnight, Travel Well

_The unknown distance to the gray beyond  
Stares back at my grieving frame  
To cast my shadow by the holy sun  
My spirit moans with a sacred pain_

Valkyrie bowed her head as she stood by the casket. The small church was empty now. Everyone was gone. Only she was left, hunched with agony of the heart, surrounded by the now-wilting funeral flowers. The white lilies and roses hung their heads with her. The black crepe hangings rustled nervously.

_It's quiet now  
The universe is standing still  
There's nothin' I can say  
There's nothin' we can do now  
There's nothin' I can say  
There's nothin' we can do now_

Alice. Alison. Her baby sister. Taken from her; stolen by cold, unforgiving hands.

_And all that stands between the soul's release  
This temporary flesh and bone  
And know that it's over now  
I feel my faded mind begin to roam._

Valkyrie's knees weakened and she fell against the small coffin that encased two-year-old Alice. She rested her head against the dark wood and closed her eyes. She wanted to be with the little girl, resting by her side.

_Every time you fall and every time you try  
Every foolish dream and every compromise  
Every word you spoke and everything you said  
Everything you left me, rambles in my head_

She turned her head to stare at the ceiling. A cold, cold anger ignited in her belly. The empty pews watched cautiously.

_And there's nothing I can say  
There's nothing I can do now  
There's nothing I can say  
There's nothing I can do now_

With a scream, Valkyrie whipped the shadows across the empty chapel, flipping benches and ripping gashes in the floor. The flowers were strewn far and wide; the black crepe slashed whirled away; the windows pierced to let in great swirls of cold air.

_Up above the world so high  
Everything you loved and every time you try  
Everybody's watching and everybody cry  
Stay, don't leave me, the stars can wait for your sign  
Don't signal now_

She leaned back against the casket, breathing hard. Her eyes blurred with tears. "Oh, Alice, what am I going to do without you?" she murmured.

_And there's nothing I can say  
There's nothing I can do now  
And there's nothing I can say  
There's nothing we can do now_

Alison would have wanted her to be strong, to be happy, to be the carefree girl that she always portrayed herself as when they were together. Valkyrie ran her hand along the dark wood that covered Alice's face.

"I love you. I have loved you so much, since before you were born, since the day that our mother told me she was expecting. You signified innocence, and love, and hope." She stuttered and wiped at the tears that coursed down her face. Memories of her little sister washed through her mind: baby Alice gripping Valkyrie's hand in her tiny fingers, holding onto her like she'd never let go; wailing with adorable frustration as she tried to push herself up to crawl, and the look of exultation as she managed it. Her first steps. Learning to say her big sister's name – _Ste-haw-ee – _and the look of adoration in her big blue eyes when they were together.

"May your soul rejoin peacefully with the stream of life," Valkyrie intoned. "And I will find the man who murdered you, and I will put him to death. I swear to you, you will be avenged." Her voice shook with freezing anger.

_Goodnight, travel well  
Goodnight, travel well  
There's nothing I can say  
Nothing I can do now  
Goodnight, travel well, travel well  
Travel well_

She stood and walked down the aisle to the church doors. At a gesture, they were blown off their hinges, and she stepped through into the numbing cold.

"Now, where are you, Skulduggery," she whispered through the cutting wind. "Show yourself, and let me kill you."

* * *

**Before you ask...no, I don't know why Skulduggery killed Alice Edgley. I would tell you if I did though:P**

**The song is, of course, by the Killers - I mean duh, have you read my profile ;)**

**'Goodnight, Travel Well' by the Killers from their album 'Day & Age'**

**So please, tell me what you think! I always wanted to write songfic so this is my first stab at it. Idk. Sorta weird I suppose haha.**

**Rate&review, PM me, follow or favorite! I want to know I have an audience out there!**

**Thanks to: realtawit, Justrockzyxxx, khadijahsays, Xxbeautiful134, Kathryn Euler, Fire Kitty 12, sandjoe101, EJ26, and of course my lovely guests. You guys are seriously what keeps me writing. Thankyou for the amazing support(:**


	2. Six Days Previously

**This is the second part to Goodnight, Travel Well...**

* * *

Light flooded Skulduggery Pleasant's eye sockets as he lay crumpled on his side. He drew his bony knees under him and stood, he dusted off his suit, and tried to remember where he was and why. He brushed at something dark on his coat, but it didn't go away.

Skulduggery felt himself go cold as he looked more closely.

It was blood.

* * *

_*****__Six Days Previously*_

Valkyrie bounded into the office in the Roarhaven Sanctuary that Skulduggery currently was occupying, leaped up to sit on the desk, and slid a few inches along its sleek wood surface. At the end of her slide, she flicked her hair and struck an overdramatic model pose.

Skulduggery, reclining in the chair behind the desk, laughed. Valkyrie grinned at him and swung her legs over the side, crossed her ankles, and rested her elbows on her knees.

"What did you want to talk about, then," she smiled, cradling her chin on her palms.

He pulled at the lapels of his pinstripe suit, stalling.

Valkyrie eyed him curiously. Slowly, she reached out and removed his hat, transferred it to her own head, and her face took on a mischievous expression.

She took her time to seductively get up off the desk top, and stood facing him. She tilted the hat at an angle and started to pace back and forth. "So, my incredible inference and detection skills have led me to a fantastic conclusion of epic proportions," Valkyrie said pompously as she strutted, affecting a posh British accent. "You, dear sir-" she paused for a flourish and a bow- "wished not to speak to me precisely about a subject, but rather to distract me from my duties in order to spend some quality time with one another."

Skulduggery applauded from his laid-back seat.

Valkyrie took another curtsy and blew kisses to an imaginary audience.

"Very well done, m'dear," he returned, using the same snobby accent as she had, walking around the desk to meet her, "except for the fact that we do have matters of our relationship to discuss."

He took her outstretched hand and dragged her in close. She let him, and he brought the two of them closer and closer until they were nearly touching. Her eyes were lowered, delicate eyelashes cast downwards. Her hair caressed the nape of her neck in a way that would have made his heart speed, if he'd had one still beating. At this distance, Skulduggery could feel her warm, slightly accelerated breath on his bones.

Simultaneously, they both shivered.

Valkyrie was the first to move: she brushed her fingers across his collar to his bare skull. In response, he wound his arms about her and pulled her tightly to him. She pulled him down to meet her, and his teeth met her lips for a tender kiss.

"What is there to talk about?" she asked softly.

"You don't have a problem with dating a four hundred year old skeleton?"

Valkyrie threw her head back and laughed, then just as suddenly whipped her attention back to Skulduggery with an intense kiss that drove him backwards. His shoulder blades touched the wall, and at her encouragement, he slid to a sitting position.

"Good boy." Valkyrie plunked down beside him.

Skulduggery cocked his head at her.

"I just, y'know, just wanted you to sit without ordering you to do anything."

It was Skulduggery's turn to laugh.

Valkyrie leaned back against him, and he wrapped his bony arms around her. She sighed blissfully.

After a while, Valkyrie shifted, and Skulduggery took a piece of her long, dark hair, and began absentmindedly twirling it around his gloved fingers.

"Promise me one thing, would you?" he asked quietly.  
She opened her eyes. "Mmm?"  
"That you'll never cheat on me."  
He felt her stiffen against his side.  
"What?"  
"I said-"  
"No, I know what you said, I'm just trying to figure out why you said that."  
"I'd be crushed if you ever did."  
Valkyrie pulled away to look at him. "I can't believe you just asked me that. We've only been dating a few weeks. You can't just 'ask for insurance' of somebody."  
"Well, I just-"  
"Oh my god. What, you don't trust me?" Her eyes narrowed.  
Skulduggery felt himself beginning to get angry. "Do I have to remind you about how long we've been partners for?"  
"Actually no, you don't. I think about it sometimes and wonder how it ever works out."  
"And I thought I could trust you in the field. But apparently you have problems elsewhere. You've got trust issues. You accuse me of not trusting you, yet I don't even think you trust me." The strand of her hair fell from his fingers.  
Valkyrie had backed away from his and was on her hands and knees, eyes flashing dangerously. "Well why should I? All of the times you've nearly gotten me killed? Each one of your ridiculous plans?"  
Skulduggery stood up, and now he and Valkyrie were face to face. "You have anything else to complain about? Because if you did, I'd be shocked, seeing how you never, ever shut up about your own problems. All day, every day; "Oh, poor me" this, and "Unlucky me" that."  
Valkyrie's face colored angrily. "So _I'm_ the bad guy here? _I'm_ the whiny one, when you can't ever stop with the "Oh, I wish you were more like Grace Kelly" stuff. Do you even know how that feels-"  
"Oh, no surprise, you're back to moaning and groaning again," growled Skulduggery. He felt the rage building inside of him.  
"You...you IDIOT. You useless, selfish sack of bones! I don't even know why I bother with you." Her hands streaked out and hit him, square in the chest.  
He exploded. "How can I expect to get anywhere with someone as _childish_, as irresponsible and melodramatic as you! You think I'm the problem, do you? You don't exactly have a fantastic track record, do you now? I have every right to ask you not to cheat on me. Or have you already forgotten about what you did to Fletcher? Have you forgotten Caelan?"

Valkyrie's eyes widened. Skulduggery couldn't stop himself. "I bet there's someone else, right now, isn't there? Probably even Fletcher. You are a cruel, manipulating girl, Valkyrie Cain. What was I even thinking, dating a person like you?"

Tears rushed to her eyes. She stared at him, confronted; shocked; hurt.  
The fire in Skulduggery's chest extinguished instantly at the agonized look on her face.

Valkyrie spun to leave, but he reached out and snagged her wrist. "Wait, Val, I didn't mean it. Val, I-"

"LET GO OF ME," she screamed, half yelling, half sobbing. Tears were coursing in streams down her suddenly pale face. Skulduggery felt cold.  
"Wait, please, Valkyrie. Please-"  
"LET ME GO," she shrieked and tore herself free. "Don't...don't you _dare_ touch me."

She whirled and tore from the room.

Skulduggery's voice diffused quietly into the empty room. "I'm sorry."

He stood, slumped and motionless as a skeleton on a rack. He felt as dead inside as he was outside; physically; mentally; metaphorically; literally.

Darkness began to leak from his ribcage, soaking his white shirt.

* * *

**So what did you think? Skulduggery and Valkyrie have a screaming match...to be continued. Anyone think I should move this to a separate story? There IS still more on the way.**

**Anyways, danke schön for reading! Even this odd little blurb! Yay!**

**Ok. Hugs to all who read, review, PM me, follow, and/or favorite. **

**PS. Sorry, the insults aren't all that creative.**

**PPS. Sorry also for all the semicolons ;)**


	3. What You Think You Saw

**Sorry, sorry, sorry about the long wait! Hope it's worth it (:**

* * *

Valkyrie felt like an empty shell; happiness, love, empathy - gone. Nothing but cold, hard purpose.

Alice must be avenged. That was Valkyrie's only thought, and it rattled around her skull, building in intensity.

Skulduggery must die.

Valkyrie didn't let herself feel anything. She wasn't going to wonder about why he did it. She wasn't going to feel that searing agony or the hurt confusion -

She broke off the thought with a deep breath and sped up, boots crunching through the old snow. The door she was looking for came into view to het right, and she gripped the doorframe to swing herself into the smoky interior of the bar. Her informant had arranged to meet up here, in exchange for cheap beer. Valkyrie shuddered.

A few heads turned to look as she stepped inside, bringing a swirl of frosty air inside, and a few turned to look again, this time up and down her body.

She growled quietly to herself and began weaving her way through the tangle of sweaty, drunken bodies to the bar. As she managed to squeeze past the last of them and arrived, Valkyrie made the mistake of planting her palms on the bar. The sticky remainders of spilt drinks and crumbs and god-knows-what-else clung to her skin. She pulled her hands back and rubbed them together below the bar as she spoke. "A pint of beer, please."

The bartender snorted. "And how old are you exactly, lovie?"

Valkyrie swore under her breath. _Seventeen_.

"I'm eighteen, sir," she tried, flashing her best smile. The man leered at her and she shuddered mentally.

Valkyrie waited for him to react. He looked back at her, raised a greasy eyebrow, and waited. She did nothing. Finally, the bartender sighed. "Whatever. Just this once, but you owe me one, sister," he chortled, mimicking an American accent. As he stumbled away to snatch up a filthy drinks glass, Valkyrie decided that he was most definitely drunk, and that she was actually glad of the fact – he was going to let her get away with it.

The bartender returned and slammed down the pint of cheap alcohol in front of her. A little slopped over the edges to add to the filth of the bar top. Valkyrie grimaced, picked up the glass with one hand, and poured a few coins onto the bar with the other. Balancing the sticky beer between two fingers, she began forcing her way back through the crowd, aiming for a quiet table near the back of the packed room. A couple of jostles later, she emerged at the booth, deposited the drink on the table, and wiped her fingers on her jacket to no avail, wishing desperately for some hand sanitizer. Valkyrie sat gingerly on the cracked 'leather' of the seat and relaxed slightly, looking out at the heaving, bobbing crowd as loud music blared. A swirl of smoke was coiling its way through the warm air and making her feel dizzy, and the stench of the beer was clogging her nostrils. She hoped he'd show up soon.

Trying to keep her mind off of her own discomfort, Valkyrie started a random observation game, counting and sorting people around her. _6 males with conspicuously missing shirts_. She let her mind turn to Dexter Vex for one brief happy moment. _47 individuals holding a beer in their hand. 29 females with blonde hair. 2 men with ginger hair. 4 girls wearing tuques depicting an animal of some sort._

A young man, possibly in his early twenties, wearing a black hoodie and converse, walked up into her view. His intense green eyes met hers, and she twisted her hand slightly beneath the table, making the shadows curl subtly behind her.

His eyes flashed with recognition, and by his side, his hand pushed lightly at the air. A soft breeze lifted Valkyrie's hair.

That was him.

Her contact.

The man smiled and began walking towards her. Valkyrie smiled back wanly. For some reason, her heart had started racing - it wasn't the young man causing it, even though he was very attractive, she noted distantly. Something wasn't right. Valkyrie whipped her head back and forth, scanning the room. She felt cold and trembly.

"Hey, I'm Evan."

She looked up at him. He was standing close so that they could hear each other, and at this distance, he was even more good-looking. Blonde hair, short on the sides, but long on the top, spoke of slight rebellion. In contrast, his tan trousers and white-stringed black sweater were tame yet classy.

"Valkyrie," she returned.

He smiled again. "Nice to meet you."

Something moved behind him, in the corner of the darkened bar.

Valkyrie zeroed in on it.

_One man, tall and thin, stepping out of the darkness, readjusting his fedora._

Valkyrie's heart nearly stopped.

_Could it be him?_

Evan was still talking about something, his eyes lit up and his speech animated.  
She stood up abruptly. "If you'll excuse me for one moment," she whispered vaguely.  
Evan smiled a little in confusion, but stepped to the side. Valkyrie strode past him, heading for the man in the corner.

His back was to her.

The shadows cast their inky shifting darkness across him.

The hat rested at a jaunty angle on his head.

Anger flared inside of Valkyrie. The man who had murdered her sister. The man she had given her life up to. The man whom she was now going kill.

She broke into a sprint -  
The man turned, facade crumpling in confusion -  
Her fist connecting with his face-  
The two of them falling backwards to the sticky floor-  
Realizing that he wasn't wearing a suit-  
That his body didn't give way beneath her-  
That she could feel his warmth-  
That the fedora was actually a baseball cap-

That the man wasn't Skulduggery.

She punched him anyways.

And again. And again.

And the man was roaring, trying to buck her off, and the crowd was roaring, and her blood was roaring in her ears…

And then strong arms were there, lifting her away.

"Shh," murmured Evan in her ear, "Calm down."

Valkyrie allowed herself to go limp against him. To her surprise, he released her to stand by herself, rather than restraining her. "Thanks," she muttered. He reached out and gently wiped away a trace of blood from her face.

A man, face puce and contorted, came up behind them, shaking a raised fist and yelling something.

Evan whirled and lashed out viciously, and the man spun away.

He turned back to Valkyrie, took her hand lightly, and led her back to their table in the corner. Nobody followed them.

Valkyrie planted her hands on the table and leaned forwards, drilling her breathing to slow, shaking from head to foot. Evan watched her silently.

"Did you think-" he began. Valkyrie squeezed her eyes shut and he stopped. "Sorry. I'll leave it be."

She swallowed hard and suddenly she needed something, anything. She snatched up Evan's beer from the table and took a long, deep swig.

As she wiped her lips and coughed, slamming the beverage down, Evan began to laugh. It started out soft, but changed to a deep-bellied guffaw. Valkyrie felt herself begin to smile.

"What?"

He laughed harder.

"What?!"

He swept her up into a random, spontaneous hug, laughing into her hair.  
She tensed, then relaxed into the embrace. He calmed slightly, wiped his eyes, and stepped back - to Valkyrie's regret. "Oh, man," he chuckled. "I'm sorry, you just looked so amazing right there."

"I was-"

"You've never been drunk, have you?" he laughed.

"I'm seventeen" she began defensively.

"Eh, you're fine. Hey, it's better than me; I drink too much. Sorry about making you buy me that beer, thought you were older."

Valkyrie brushed her hair behind her ear self-consciously.

"I figure that whatever happened back there, it's your business, and I'm betting that you have a few more things than that to drink away, so by all means, continue on."

She stared in amazement. "You mean you're not even going to try to stop me?"

"Do you want me to?"

She smiled, the first honest smile she had felt in a long time.

"Come on, up to the bar. Don't drink this crap; let me show you the real stuff. Grey Goose?"

He grinned.

She smiled back rakishly.

The music sped up, increased in volume, and the party began.

* * *

Valkyrie bounced drunkenly to what she thought was the music, clinging to Evan's arm. Her hair swirled around her face, and the empty bottle fell to the floor with a crack that couldn't be heard over the loudness of the music. All around them, the crowd still heaved, tight and hot.

She danced closer to Evan, trying to bring the gap between their bodies to zero. He relented, letting her dance up on him. She took advantage of the moment to feel his body tight against hers. His sharp inhalation sounded in her ear, and Valkyrie felt his hands begin to roam across her waist and to her hips, pulling her harder against him. She leaned into his body, swaying with him, smelling his tasteful cologne.

Evan turned her to face him; hands low on her back, Valkyrie's arms draped around his neck. She could feel the entire length of his body against hers.

"Do you want to get out of here, Val?" he whispered huskily. Their faces were close together, his brilliant green eyes filling her vision. "We can go back to my place."

Valkyrie stared, mesmerized, and nodded. Evan leaned in and pressed a warm kiss to her forehead, then led her by the hand out of the bar.

* * *

After some unknown period of time in a cab, draped across Evan, movement stopped and Valkyrie was helped out of the car. The cold air stung her numb face, and the clear, starry sky above swirled. She followed Evan, taking a moment to admire him from behind, and staggered up the steps to the brick apartment. As he fiddled with the lock, she slumped down in the snow, pushing at an icicle in the sludge with her forefinger.

"What are you doing?" Evan asked, a smile in his voice as he looked down at her.

Valkyrie shrugged lethargically, and held her arms up to him like a child, and as if she were a child, he lifted her into his arms to carry her through the entrance.

Evan pulled the door shut behind them with his foot, kicked off his boots, and, without setting her down, carried Valkyrie along the hallway and into a bedroom.

"Evan?" she murmured.

"Yeah?"

"You have...such...beautiful eyes."

He smiled as he laid her down on the bed, unlaced her boots for her, and then tucked the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight," he whispered, and softly kissed the tip of her nose before setting off to go sleep on the couch.

* * *

**Hope you liked that, it took me long enough xP um so I don't own any of the SP characters, they belong to the illustrious Mr. Derek Landy, except Evan! Just thought I should get that one out of the way...**

**It's homecoming here. I don't have a date; I'm feeling a little forever alone, but ya know I could never cheat on Skulduggery like that (:**

**So puh-leez review, follow, favorite, PM me!**

**I also wanted to add a random snippet of info that NerdySkeleton was really the one who got me started on all of this FanFic stuff, so wherever she is, even if she's not writing anymore, a colossal thank you, because this is one of the best things that I've done in a very long time (: xox**


	4. Falling Home

Something bright and blinding fought against Valkyrie's shut eyelids. She groaned and turned over, snatching a pillow and burying her aching head beneath it. _Sunlight_, she thought blearily.

After a few minutes, and when the tight space below the pillow had grown hot and suffocating, Valkyrie judged that it was probably time to get up.

She slid one bare foot to the cool floor and rolled from the bed. Instantly, her stomach heaved and her head whirled. She moaned and clutched at her temples, made the mistake of opening her eyes, and wheezed with pain as a spike of light stabbed into her brain.

A neatly folded pile of clothes sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. Valkyrie looked at it, then cautiously stuck out a foot to flip it up off the floor, not trusting her balance if she were to lean down.

She picked up the sweater from the pile and sniffed it. The soft grey cotton smelled of fresh detergent, but there was an undertone of something else, something almost alluring. Valkyrie shrugged and pulled off her protective jacket, dragged on the sweater, deciphering the lettering in the front to read as an advertisement for Lonsdale. The scent of it enveloped her as she snuggled down into the unfamiliar garment, and suddenly it dawned upon her: cologne.

Everything rushed back. _Evan. The bar. Bringing her home._ Valkyrie looked about her, taking in the cream colored walls and the small twin-sized bed in the center, the skylight windows above.

So it was Evan's sweater then. Also included in the pile was a pair of black fleece sweatpants. These too Valkyrie pulled on, rolling up the bottoms so that she could walk and tightening the drawstring.

She felt a bit strange, wearing his clothes, but his divine scent nestled in every fold of the cloth, and she couldn't help but close her eyes as she inhaled deeply.  
_Valkyrie, you only met him yesterday._  
She walked to the door, smiling slightly.  
_He's just a distraction. You have a purpose, you know_.  
She glanced quickly at the mirror, brushed at her hair.  
_Yes, I know he's really attractive._  
Valkyrie breathed in to calm sudden butterflies and stepped out into the hallway.  
_Just be sensible, okay?_  
She padded down the corridor into a small and warmly lit kitchen, wincing slightly at the brightness.

Evan sat at a stool, reading a newspaper with a mug of what smelled like coffee steaming in easy reach. His plaid pyjamas bottoms and robe made him seem cosy and comfortable. He looked up and a smile spread across his face and Valkyrie's heart pounded.

His eyes shone, gleaming green, and his blonde hair caught the light. In the pure morning sun, she was seeing even more clearly than the prior night, and it just got better.

"Good morning," he said.

She smiled shyly and made her way over to where he was sitting. "Hey."

"How're you feeling?"

All of Valkyrie's aches and pains made themselves known again and she groaned.

Evan's face creased with concern, but he laughed a little.

"Sorry, you're probably figuring out just how bad exactly a hangover is."  
She put her face in her hands and groaned again.

Evan got up and moved towards the coffee maker. "Coffee?"

"Actually, do you have orange juice or something?"

He pulled open the fridge and selected a carton of juice. Valkyrie made to go fetch a glass, but he stopped her with a gesture and got it himself. She smiled her gratitude as he poured for her and set the glass in front of her.

Evan sat back down and looked at her, those eyes making her body tremble.

She self-consciously reached for the orange juice and took a sip, feeling his gaze upon her. With a nervous cough, she swallowed then asked, "You're used to the hangover effects, then?"

Evan opened his mouth to answer when a sudden crash outside shot through the air. Valkyrie jumped and knocked the glass over. It shattered and orange juice spilled across the counter-top.

Instantly they were both on their feet, Valkyrie apologizing profusely as Evan assured her she was fine, creating a tangle of words between the two. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry," Valkyrie mumbled, face burning, "Let me clean this up for you at least."

Evan's hands were making calming gestures in the air, his eyes wide and sincere. "Val. Honest. It's not your fault."

She rolled her eyes slightly, and he stepped towards her, laughter in his face.

Her heart rate sped up.

The sweater had slipped off one of her shoulders in the commotion, and those green eyes fixated on the exposed skin. They subtly flashed up and down the length of her body. She sucked in a breath.

Evan looked right at her. His face, edged with sunlight, had a new expression on it.  
Valkyrie looked back. She had to fight for breath.

His lips parted slightly.

He walked, slowly, closer her.

"Ev-"

He took her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth.

Evan leaned back to survey her reaction. She took but a moment for a startled breath, and then dragged him back in for a searing kiss, lips clinging to his, faces tight together. Evan wound his hands into her hair, and she clasped her hands to his neck, pulling him closer, and closer still. His mouth was hard and urgent against hers, and the kiss was deepening fast as he walked her back towards the pantry. Valkyrie fumbled for the tie of his coat and pushed it open, resting her fingers against his thin t-shirt, and Evan made a little noise in his throat. His burning, feverish hands slid to caress her shoulders, and then to support her as she wrapped her legs about his waist and kissed him from above, mouth open and unresisting. As his lips began to travel away, along her jaw and down her throat, Valkyrie let her head loll back and revelled in the sensations converging in her body.

In the background, the orange juice dripped slowly off the edge of the counter, making a pool on the floor.

* * *

Valkyrie had a sensation of falling back into herself from a great height. She had been drifting, letting her body react as her mind disengaged, but a thought that she had been trying to suppress had gotten loose and she had been dragged back down.

Valkyrie shifted uncomfortably beneath Evan's weight. His lips and fingers and body and merely his _nearness_ felt like they were suffocating her. She needed out. In a sudden spasm, Valkyrie shuddered, fighting the urge to lash out indiscriminately. This time, Evan felt her change of moods and drew back to look at her. She turned her face away to hide sudden tears.

"Valkyrie?"

She shook her head mutely and moved out from under him, picked up the sweater from the end of the bed, dragged it over her head. Evan looked at her, confusion and hurt all over his features. He looked so beautiful, that angelic face and body, as he sat, shirtless, sheets tangled about him, looking for all the world like an artist's still-life setup. He didn't deserve to be hurt like this.

She turned to go and he cried out, caught her hand. He said her name. Valkyrie shook her head again, broke away, and walked from the room.

She could hear Evan scrambling after her, and she broke for the front door.

Valkyrie flung the door open.

There was a man standing on the doorstep.

A tall, slim man with unfocused eyes and waxy skin.

A man wearing a pinstriped suit and a fedora.

_Skulduggery._

Valkyrie's world condensed into a series of frozen snapshots. The air she breathed became like ice; it pierced her lungs and froze her heart.

His gaze met hers.

With a strangled cry, she whipped the small box-like rectangular object from where it nestled at the base of her spine, tucked into the back of her trousers. It flattened and changed shape as she hit a button, and mutated into a pistol. Valkyrie shot him, full in the chest.

Evan's arms wrapped around her from behind, forcing her aim off, and the second bullet went awry, spraying chips of brick as it contacted the wall.

Skulduggery kept on walking forward, and Evan was holding the pistol away from her and shouting, "What the hell, Valkyrie, what the hell," and the man who killed her sister was reaching out for her and she wasn't breathing and her blood was screaming through her veins and...

She collapsed back into Evan, eyes rolling up into her head.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait! Hope you find this one interesting, and sorry also if you're squeamish about kissing. And shooting people in the chest. Yeahh.**

**Another thing. Our dear friend NightcatMau has deleted her FanFic account, and we're all going to miss her a bunch. i'd just like to dedicate this one to her, for all of her inspiring writing.**

**And also to realtawit for being patient!**


	5. Blood and Feathers

He knew that Valkyrie had been tracking him. She'd been contacting informers all across the UK, and even in France and Belgium, searching him out.

Skulduggery supposed she just wanted to find him.

_(Try not to think of those six blank days.)_

He didn't want to explain their fight to their friends. Apparently Valkyrie didn't want to either, because she hadn't spoken to any of them either. He had decided to follow her lead, and instead tracked her through her own informants.

_Evan Merric._ Other than the fact that he appeared to be an elemental, there was really nothing to know about him. He seemed to just be an average, unremarkable twenty-one year old man.

A young man whose dustbins he now crouched behind, risking the occasional glimpse through the window.

Skulduggery sighed mentally. He hadn't heard anything of Valkyrie since Merric, and he just wanted news. Clearly it had become an unbreakable habit now to creep on people in their own kitchens when all you wanted was a basic newsflash.

It was just this nagging hunch he had that something wasn't right.

_(Don't think of the blood.)_  
The subtle looks from some of the people he talked to in his search for Valkyrie and even the outright hostility and refusal of meeting struck an off chord in his brain.

_(The blood on his shirt.)_

He'd ask Val once he found her, that's what he'd do.

_(The blood.)_

Skulduggery risked another peek into the kitchen.

He almost cried out in shock.

Valkyrie was standing in the kitchen.

In Merric's kitchen.

Skulduggery ducked back down again, mind reeling, trying to understand what was going on here.

She had looked beautiful - skin glowing, eyes luminescent. But so different. Her hair. Dear god, her hair, her gorgeous dark tresses, what he had loved so much, what had been such a part of her for as long as he'd known her - gone. It was short, cropped at the neck, almost boyish. And she looked even more beautiful. Valkyrie looked stunning and strong and independent and new.

He staggered back and collided with one of the aluminum trashcans. The lid clattered off and clanged onto the pavement before him. Skulduggery swore under his breath and flattened himself against the wall, praying not to be discovered.  
From inside came the crack if breaking glass, and an unintelligible sound of voices swelled from inside. Skulduggery huddled even more tightly against the wall, feeling the rough brick press into his cheek.

The voices subsided, and it was quiet again.

He relaxed slightly.

Valkyrie rushed back into his skull. What the hell was she doing here? Had she stayed the night at Merric's house? He trembled in anger at the thought. What had she done with him? _Why?_

Skulduggery risked another glimpse through the kitchen window, but the pair of them were gone.

Skulduggery swore and straightened up. Behind him was a fence leading to the courtyard of the apartments, and he vaulted it, using a small boost from the air. Landing on the other side, Skulduggery took off at a crouched run to the windows on the rear side of the building. The one he wad looking for had a small balcony elevated a few meters above the ground, decorated with a few small potted shrubs. Skulduggery swung himself up and over the rail, landing soundlessly. The sheer chiffon curtains on the French doors billowed in the breeze, and enveloped Skulduggery in an eddying swirl of fabric.

The glass doors were slightly open. As the fabric swelled and ebbed about him, snapshots of the scene within were revealed.

A young couple wound about one another amongst tangled cotton sheets. The man's bare back and a glimpse of the woman's bra strap were visible, and their clothed legs curled together.

A swathe of cloth blocked his view for but a moment, and then the scene reappeared. It was beautiful, in a way: the woman, eyes closed and face utterly at peace; the man, loving hands caressing her cheek and neck. It seemed as though a light ran through the whole thing; a kind of glowing, shining, steadiness; pure and divine.

The cloth interrupted his sight again. As it coiled about his skull, his senses seemed to return.

That was Valkyrie in there. _His_ Valkyrie. With another man.

It wasn't possible. He wouldn't accept that.

_Why?_

Skulduggery stumbled backwards away from the window, from the sinister undulations of the drapes, and with body made numb from shock, lowered himself off the balcony.

He landed on the ground, fighting the urge to collapse, head in hands. Nearly unconscious of what he was doing, Skulduggery began moving away, back towards the gate he had entered over. Again, he vaulted it, and then mechanically staggered towards the entrance to the house. On numb, shaky legs, he mounted the stairs and stood, unaware of any particular purpose, before the door.

Something dripped down his cheek: a tear. His facade was crying, somehow or another.

_Valkyrie._

Another tear traced its way down his face, and this time, Skulduggery managed to muster the effort to reach up with one hand. He touched it with a finger, and drew back to stare solemnly as it beaded on the surface of his glove.

A sound of footfalls came from within and Skulduggery's head snapped up.

The door was flung open.

There she stood.

Her hair was rumpled and her shirt had ridden up slightly. The small crease between her eyebrows that always appeared when she was upset wrinkled delicately. Her eyes looked dark.

A man appeared in the corridor behind her.

Skulduggery tried to open his mouth to speak, to beg for an explanation, to scream at Valkyrie, to cry out in agony from the pain he was feeling.

Her face slammed shut and a look of sheer, murderous rage roiled across her features. She snatched something from the back of her trousers, aimed, and fired.

The man's mouth began to open in a shout.

The bullet from Valkyrie's pistol passed beneath Skulduggery's clavicle, between the bones of his rib cage, and out next to his spine, without even grazing him.  
Merric grabbed Valkyrie from behind and forced her arm to the side. As the next shot connected with the bricks to his right, and shards sprayed the cheek of his facade.

_(Thebloodthebloodtheblood)_

Skulduggery reached out for Valkyrie. Her eyes went wide and panicked, and she struggled in Merric's grasp, then went limp.

Merric dragged her inside, his face torn between concern for the unconscious girl in his arms and for the man whom she had just shot.

Skulduggery stumbled forwards across the doorstep and slammed the door shut behind himself. He leaned back against it, feeling his body shake, and reached up to touch the facade, which was oozing a semblance of blood.

Merric stretched a hand towards him, shock that he was still standing. "A-are you okay?"

Skulduggery placed his hand against his ribs, and nodded his head vaguely then deactivated the facade.

Just like Valkyrie's had, Merric's face closed instantaneously.

"You're Skulduggery Pleasant."

Unable to speak, Skulduggery just nodded again. He tried to ignore Valkyrie's still form, head pillowed in Merric's lap.

"What are you doing here?" growled Merric.

Skulduggery felt anger flood his body. "What the hell do you mean, what am I doing here?"

Merric's icy features glared at him.

"Oh my god," he whispered. His knees folded and he sat down heavily. "We are...we were...she _shot_ me." His mind screamed at him. _(The blood – there was blood on your shirt – what does it mean – what have you done – she SHOT you – you're not dead – the blood oh god —)_

Merric's face softened slightly in pity. "I'm sorry. All I knew is that you two were together, then something happened and she found me when she was looking for a contact when she was searching for you."

"Wait. You knew. You knew, the whole time? That she and I were dating? And you still went ahead and..." He broke off and buried his skull in his gloved hands.

"You were watching us?" whispered Merric.

"Yes, you - you BASTARD! Get your filthy hands off of her!" Skulduggery shot to his feet and started towards the two.

Merric stood, taking Valkyrie with him. "You need to calm down."

"What do you expect me to do? Just back off? That's never going to happen."

Skulduggery drew his fist back for a punch.

A massive pair of white wings snapped out from Merric's back and arched above his head. The buffet of air from the movement knocked Skulduggery back a step.  
The wing-feathers shifted slightly, glowing with a pure light that spread subtly across Merric's whole body. Slowly, he unfurled the feathers to full width, spreading his wings farther.

"You're a Seraph," whispered Skulduggery.

Merric's eyes slid open. They, too, glowed with a faintly luminous gold like the rest of him. He inclined his head austerely.

Skulduggery fought the urge to kneel as Merric surveyed him calmly.

"She found me, but it was no mistake. There are no mistakes." His wings cupped the air around him, seeming to cradle Valkyrie without touching her. His voice carried a strength that had not been present before, and seemed to reverberate deep inside of Skulduggery.

She stirred slightly, and Merric seemed to wake. He shook his feathers, then curled the wings back and in so they were out of view.

His eyes, which had closed again during the transition, met Skulduggery's once more. They were no longer gold, but rather a vivid shade of green. "She must not know."

Skulduggery hissed in the back of his throat.

"It is imperative."

Skulduggery turned away.

Merric reached for a sweater draped across the banister and pulled it on, still supporting Valkyrie with one hand. Her body fell limply against his own, but her fingers twitched where they rested on his neck.

"I think you should leave, Detective," murmured Merric. He swayed gently with Valkyrie in his arms, planting a kiss on her cheek bone. He crooned quietly in her ear, and she nestled in closer to him, waking slowly.

Skulduggery fled the room, sick to his very bones.


End file.
